1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to method and apparatus for truing metal wheels, especially metal wheels of a railroad locomotive and other rolling stock without removing the wheels from the locomotive or stock. The invention is particularly directed to the truing of diesel locomotive wheels to bring them into compliance with specifications established by the American Association of Railroads and the following specification is addressed to that application in detail.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For many, many years one of the major problems in the operation of railroad rolling stock has been the maintenance of the metal wheels in proper condition. The abuse and wear to which the wheels are subjected adversely change the contour of the wheels, forming so-called "flats", "high flanges" and other unacceptable wheel contours. Other ordinary wheel contour defects resulting from service include wheels having a thin flange, a vertical flange, or worn tread. As one example of a problem arising from a defective wheel, a wheel with a high flange may strike and severely damage a railroad switch as it passes over it.
To date, there have been a few satisfactory methods and machines for truing metal wheels of locomotives and the like to provide a consistent and accurate contour as suggested by the American Association of Railroads (A.A.R.), but these required additional work and expense, for example, they required removal of the brake rigging, sand spouts and the like. In fact, the A.A.R. specification itself for Wheel Lathe Practice, Section 2D, for truing locomotive wheels is far from specific regarding the method to be used in truing wheels, satisfying itself with directions for the most economical and workmanlike method. However, Section 2D of the A.A.R. specification is quite specific in regard to the proper railroad wheel contours for operation and these may be achieved consistently with the method and apparatus of the present invention.
The patented art does suggest various methods and apparatus for truing locomotive and car wheels; some of these patents disclose ways and means to do so without removing the wheels from the locomotive or car, as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,622,374; 2,622,378; 2,677,307; 2,727,343; 2,762,171; 2,823,493 and 3,540,164. U.S. Pat. No. 2,578,250 specifically discloses grinding apparatus for use with diesel locomotive wheels which are driven by separate power means supplied to the wheel traction motors.
Various U.S. patents disclose truing mechanisms disposed in a pit beneath removable track sections; for example, such mechanisms are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,622,374; 2,622,378; 2,677,307 and 2,762,171. The latter patent specifically describes the use of horizontally or transversely movable track sections. Jacking devices for lifting a locomotive or car from said sections are also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,677,307 as well as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,473,270.